[child-rights] International Women's Day: Get all girls into school and give them a fighting chance against HIV

8 March 2007 -- Across the world today, 1 in every 5 girls of primary
school age are not in school. When girls miss out, not only are they
denied the chance to learn to read and write, earn a living and
participate in democracy, it also puts their lives in jeopardy. Education
gives women and girls the skills, knowledge and confidence they need to
protect themselves against HIV and AIDS. The Global Campaign for Education
is calling on world leaders to JOIN UP and take urgent action now. They
must ensure everyone, especially girls, can go to school and get the
education needed to fight for their rights. Poorer countries need to enact
policies that will make school free, accessible and safe for girls and
boys, whilst rich countries must live up to promises repeatedly made, and
still not fulfilled, to increase aid in support of these policies.

"World leaders barely raised an eyebrow when we missed the Millennium
Development Goal to eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary
education. Shockingly 94 countries missed this target. Two years on it is
a travesty that the international community continues to stand by as
millions of girls are denied their rights to a life-saving education,"
according to Maria Khan, Board Member of the Global Campaign for
Education.

Around the world 80 million children, mostly girls, are out of school. 800
million adults, mostly women, cannot read and write. Yet free education
has been enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights since
1948.

Giving girls the chance to learn to read and write not only fulfils their
right to an education -- but it also helps them in challenging the many
power imbalances between men and women, and crucially in protecting
themselves against HIV.

In a survey carried out last year 30% of girls in South Africa said that
their first sexual experience was under force or threat of force. When it
comes to HIV and AIDS women and girls fare the worst -- accounting for 74%
of young people living with HIV in Africa.

At present many women simply do not have the power they need to decide who
to have sex with, when to have sex and how to have safe sex. Education can
give women a chance to challenge this situation. The more education women
and girls receive, the better they are able to negotiate safer sex and HIV
rates. This is clearly demonstrated in Swaziland, where 2 in 3 girls who
are in school are HIV negative, while 2 in 3 of girls out of school are
HIV positive.

Girls who complete primary school are 50% less likely to be infected with
HIV. Seven million cases of HIV could be prevented in a decade if all
children attended primary school.

Not only are educated girls better able to protect their own health but
they are also able to make informed choices that can protect the health of
their family and earn a greater income, giving them more bargaining power
within the home:

- The children of women who can read and write are 50% more likely to
live past the age of 5. 
- In poor countries, each year of schooling increases girls' future
earning power by 10-20%. 

The Global Campaign for Education asks that leaders no longer turn a blind
eye whilst the rights of women and girls are denied. Give them a fighting
chance. Ensure education is of high quality, free and accessible to
everyone, especially girls.

Press release Global Campaign for Education